Our 1993

Some reflections on 1993
This is a summary of what we were doing in 1993, written as a reflection from twenty-one years later, and based on diaries and photographs from the time

Peter: A transitional year both at work and with canalling (below). Ten years working at Moorfoot in Sheffield came to an end by filling in some forms for a (better) job in Ruddington, just south of Nottingham. Needed a new car for the commuting which is just about possible in an hour on a good day, by getting up early.

The government's enthusiasm for privatisation was significant in the endgame of the Moorfoot project, and is an essential element in Ruddington: so experience in one was important in getting the other. Certainly fun to have the Information Technology for DTELS in my tender care...

...then again there's nobody else to push the blame towards if it all goes wrong. Worst that can happen is my computer sends engineers to repair the wrong mast and the radios for the ambulance emergency service continue to fail. Oh dear, maybe they would shout at me ...

The formal opening of the new building at Ruddington was followed by lunch with the honoured visitor, local MP and Home Secretary Ken Clarke who sat with us at lunch, bemoning the troubles of the Dangerous Dogs Act. An unavoiable appointment, which happened to be on the same day as a leaving-party back in Sheffield for the head of the old team at Moorfoot,...

... so would have driven immediately from one to the other except for needing to fix the distributor on the car and its zero points-gap. Not to mention the extra traffic due to a train strike and the need of driving south again for a canal trip, all on the same day.

Elaine: Still working at Rotherham. Continued with Lavender Boat at IWA National Rally, this year at Peterborough on the River Nene, where we had taken Copperkins for our first fortnight trip. Were persuaded to its delights of fancy (and expensive) carphone (installed next to the steerer): when the engine refused to start one morning, it was possible to speak with an expert without the two-mile-trek to a (broken?) phone-box from an obscure corner of the Middle Level Navigations.

Iain: Some space here for some memories of the second year at Tapton School. Book-reading seems to have played its part ... ... ... ... ... ...

Canalling: Also a pivotal year, with the first trip on our shared-boat Copperkins. It has a management company whom we pay to keep the boat in order and work out for the thirteen owners who is using the boat and when. There was a gathering of all the owners in Braunston in February, and a more formal meeting in a hotel in the Autumn. An interesting idea is that the boat's page-a-day diary has the thoughts of each owner on their day's boating, and that helps everyone to get to know each other and our collective foibles. We have reserved our three weeks for next year already, all starting on a Friday.

Our first day on Copperkins is recorded by a management company promise on painting, followed by our recording of driving into a tree - it was Iain's first go at steering Copperkins - which exposed the poor weld on the front headlight mount, which fell off to the irritation of the owner who took over on the day we left with no opportunity to fix said weld. (He forgave us later)

On that first day, the fridge didn't want to light until some grovelling on the floor persuaded it: the Television wouldn't work either. Wrote "Retired to bed 2-1 down".

While this was all being arranged, we had already organised a weeek on a Middlewich Narrowboats hireboat for the Autumn, and this was a good comparison between the two styles of boating. I think we probably enjoy both!

Ringing: at Ranmoor continued as usual. And the July Ringing course at Whirlow Grange was fun. Occasional chance to ring the handbells.